By: Tomie dePaola
Adelita begins much like any other Cinderella story, with the tragic death of both of Adelita's (our Cinderella) parents and the introduction of the evil new step family. Adelita becomes isolated without her parents once her beloved (non-magical, fairy godmother) caretaker, Esperanza, is fired, leaving Adelita to do all of the housework. Instead of a ball, as seen in other versions of Cinderella stories, the drama revolves around attending "una fiesta en su hacienda," a ranch homecoming party, for a boy named Javier. Adelita has more agency than many traditional Cinderellas in her love life, as she runs away from the party out of fear, rather than ending magic (no magic spells took place in this book!), and eventually uses her own intelligence to signal Javier of her presence with a special rebozo (shawl) in order to achieve their happily ever after.
The entire book is filled with scattered Spanish phrases, immediately followed by English translations, within the text to create a more authentic awareness of Mexican culture for readers. When used within the context of dialogue, I think these Spanish phrases are have a strong impact in portraying the emotions of the characters. This cultural infusion is matched by the Mexican folk art style used within the illustrations, as is visible through the bright colors, constant presence of flowers and floral patterns, and the tile-style of outline on each page. In addition to the vibrant Mexican lifestyle portrayed through these characteristics, many of the illustrations are framed in arches that replicate the doorway presented early on in the Mercado home. I think this shape makes it feel as thought the reader is watching the story from another room within the house, giving readers a slightly distanced perspective on some of the pages.
In terms of Mexican culture, the importance of family is stressed throughout the book- both within the text and the illustrations. For example, within the front matter of the book, the illustration depicts a portrait of eight family members all hanging on the the wall of the house. Family values are also affirmed through each description of the love between family members. The presence of religion is also present in a way the demonstrates authentic aspects of Mexican culture; some of the illustrations contain crosses, crucifixes, and religious figures in the background. The text at one point even draws attention to this by stating that, "the key is behind the crucifix" in the pivotal moment when Adelita gets her mother's old dress and shawl (which is referenced with the vibrant illustrations of the end pages of the book) and has her transformation scene for the fiesta.
One thing that I really enjoyed about the book was the characters' awareness of the classic Cinderella tale, and how their story fit into its framework in some ways, but pulled away in others. The first direct reference is when Adelita chooses her pseudonym at the fiesta; she chooses "Cenicienta-Cinderella" and later her step family describes the scenario as "just like the fairy tale" without the glass slipper. Keeping that in mind, Adelita uses her wit to hang the scarf from her window to signal to Javier that she is his love. By giving her this agency and strength, dePaola presents her as a strong female with a mind of her own, which I really appreciated. Additionally, at the very end of the story in the wedding scene, Javier states that their love story is "just like Cenicienta and her Principe-Prince- we shall live muy felices pro siempre-happily ever after- too!" By giving readers the traditional happy ending that we crave, dePaola makes this a story that readers of all ages would enjoy. This would be another fun read aloud for children because of the way Spanish is embedded in the text at certain points in the tale, and is especially useful as a resource in fairy tale studies for upper-elementary school grade.
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